On-site reporting explains why a blue, sponge-like object known as a “door guard” is attached to the edges of car doors in South Korea. Although it is a protective material used when new cars are delivered, more people are leaving it in place and continuing to use it in cities where parking spaces are tight.
Many cars driving on South Korean roads have a small blue, sponge-like object attached to the edge of the door. Reporting revealed that it is called a “door guard” and is used as a protective material during vehicle transport. It is normally removed after delivery, but locally there are cases where it is left in place and continues to be used as protection.
One reason is that parking spaces in South Korea are narrow, making damage caused by contact when doors are opened and closed, commonly known as “door dings,” frequent. As a result, the practice of leaving door guards in place has spread across vehicle makes and models. It has become such a familiar problem that the term “munkok” is used locally for this type of damage.
The trend is growing not only among people who have received new vehicles but also among those who fit door guards to used cars. Similar circumstances exist in urban areas of Japan, but the sight of people continuing to use delivery protection materials is regarded as a distinctive feature of South Korean car culture.
During the reporting, door guards were also seen at a local automaker’s factory, suggesting that they are accepted as part of the country’s car culture. Readers may find the practice an interesting example of differences in car life across countries.